The present disclosure relates to grasping items using an end effector, and more specifically, to implementations of a suction-based end effector with a selectively deformable interface.
In warehouse operations and other industrial automation settings, end effectors may be configured to perform the picking and handling of items. For example, end effectors such as suction cups or vacuum cups may be used to suction items as they are being moved between locations in a warehouse. The performance of suction-based end effectors is largely dependent on the quality of the seal formed with the suctioned item. More specifically, a suctioned item may be dropped by the end effector and/or damaged when inertial forces caused by moving the item overcome the suction force.